Katsuji Ishin
"...I don't care if it takes a thousand years, I will show you what it takes to fight that battle you're talking about. All of you." - Katsuji Ishin Katsuji Ishin (威信 活字, Ishin Katsuji) is the captain of the 7th Division in the Gotei 13. Appearance Sometimes at odds with his attitude, Ishin's physique is a rarity where he is from. He cuts an imposing figure when he stands at full height, a tall 6'7". He has an athletic build, while not being bulkily muscled. His hair used to be dyed a very dark brown, almost black, and usually looks like he has just woken up. He has deep blue eyes that show strength behind them if you look into them. Recently, Ishin has decided to stop hiding things about himself. The biggest point was that he was dyeing his hair, and has since gone back to the steel grey that it originally was. He wears it in a manner that mostly covers the scar on his face. Due to the fight he had with an SQN lieutenant over the streets of Tokyo during the Tokyo Siege, Ishin gained a rather impressive memento. Nearly half of the right side of his face is covered in a burn scar, running from around his right eye to the bridge of his nose to about mouth level. Yet oddly enough, he does not let that discourage him. He makes the scar seem like a badge of honor that he wouldn't get rid of even if he could. What isn't immediately noticeable about Ishin are his scars. After a lifetime of fighting, as well as a large portion of being dead, he has collected a huge assortment of scars. The only one visible is the one running down the left side of his face. It is odd in the fact that it isn't a disfiguring scar, and that it almost seems like it was supposed to be that way from the start. Aside from that one, he has a pair of scars on his shoulder blades, several on his arms, a few on his chest, and one or two on his legs. Another interesting thing about Ishin is that he isn't Japanese at all. He was found after a storm on a beach. The man that found him was a childless samurai, who adopted him as his own. Since becoming the Vice Captain of the Eighth Division, Ishin has modified the way he dresses. His shihakushou has been cut off at the knees and Elbows, allowing for a wider range of movement, and he wears his adjutant badge on the upper left arm. When going into combat, Ishin also wears a pair of jet black greaves and bracers that he received while on a mission. The Aegis shield used by the 8th slides on over top of the bracers. Recently, Ishin became the Captain of the 7th Division after a stay in its prison facilities. Because of his sentence, he is forced to wear a collar around his neck and shackles around his wrists. He wears his sleeveless haori over his modified Shihakushou top, while his pants are now back to being full length. Personality Ishin is laid back, but eager to prove himself. He is almost to the point that people would call him lazy. This is just a side effect of being extremely efficient in his duties. He gets all his jobs done, then has plenty of time to spare, which he likes to use to do his own thing. People see this and think he is just being lazy. This has effected him in several ways. When people ask him why he acts the way he does, he generally acts as though he doesn't hear them. He doesn't let peoples' perceptions of him stop him from having a good time. One of his biggest flaws is that he is a flirt. He will flirt with nearly every girl he sees, even if he is in a relationship, which he jumps into and out of frequently. Since he was a young child, he has been an outgoing person. He is easy to talk to, and often enough will initiate conversations with people he has never met before just to get to know them. He finds himself excelling in social situations simply because he is able to instinctively gauge peoples moods. Since becoming the Vice Captain of the Eighth, Ishin has become more of a responsible adult. That's not too say he isnt still a shameless flirt, but now he keeps it in moderation. He has also become a fairly manipulative individual, but in a good way. He uses whatever he deems most prudent to help others reach their goals. Even now that he is captain of the 7th, Ishin still does not like to overexert himself. He feels like if he were to push himself to hard he would burn himself out. He is usually has a look on his face that makes it appear as if he just rolled out of bed. Background Ishin was born in the Warring states period of Japan. As the son of a samurai, he was brought up from birth learning to fight. There was something different about him though. His father had taught him not to stand on ceremony unless the situation called for it. Due to this, he spent as much time helping the villagers do their chores as he did learning to fight. It was from this time in his life that he developed his efficient yet lazy manner, as he would slack off once he had finished the days work, which was usually done in half the time it normally took due to his creative way of approaching things. When it was apparent that he was going to be fighting soon, his father had a sword forged for him, the likes of which had rarely been seen before. It had been noticed at an early age that he was bigger than the other children. by the age of ten, Ishin towered over his mother and even his father. He hit his full height at 18. Upon turning 18, his father pulled him aside while they were at a celebration in the village. It was then that he told him the circumstances of his birth. 18 years prior, his father had been walking a nearby beach after a great storm. There were pieces of a ship everywhere. among the wreckage was a small boat, beaten nearly to shreds. Inside was a woman, who had passed on not likely more tan an hour before. In her arms was a still living baby boy. Since he had no children of his own, he decided to take the boy and raise him as his own. Ishin had looked his father in the eyes and told him that he was the only father he had ever known and ever would know. He lived to be nearly 85, surviving the war to its final battles. Even in his old age, he was often sought out by generals for his advice on tactics. While in soul society, he lived in the middle districts. He was known as a great fighter, and many sought him out to see if the reputation was well earned. Traveling from one to another, he did his best to avoid shinigami. He had learned quickly that he was strangely affected every time they were near. After years of this, he decided to apply to the academy, to find out why it happened. While there, he quickly came into his own as a leader, often being called upon to lead the other students in mock battles. It was here that he earned his moniker: "Moonblade". Whenever his Zanpakutou would come out, the only thing witnessed was a crescent of light. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 13th division. After rising through the ranks of the 13th, he was approached by his Vice-Captain, Orpheus Rayne, about a possible transfer. It was during this conversation that Orpheus revealed he had been promoted, and he was transferring to the 8th division. he then asked Ishin to accompany him as his adjutant, promoting him from tenth seat of one division to Vice-Captain of another. After the assault on the SQN in Tokyo, an attack that left the 8th division captainless, Ishin was wrongfully donvicted and sentenced for a crime he did not commit. After the trial, he was remanded to the 7th divisions prison facility. After a few months there, he became the Captain of the Division after an extreme beating from the Commander General himself. Zanpakutō Fuyutsuki (冬月, Winter Moon): The Zanpakutō that Ishin carries is, oddly enough, the same sword he carried in real life. The sword, which was forged by a master smith and tested in the springs near mount Fuji, is nearly as long as he is tall when unchecked. It has etchings down the side, signifying the day he was born, the day he died, and the day he became a shinigami. The guard is shaped like like a lily when it first opens, its petals upturned to protect the grip. The sheath is a deep brown, with shades of both red and black. It is made from wood of the ship that first carried him to his home. the grip is a about a foot and a half in length, allowing Ishin to hold it in various ways. The blade is unique, in that it has a groove down the middle of the blade that acts as a blood canal in battle. He usually carries the sword, prefering to have it aboe to be used at a moments notice. The oddest part of it, though, is the weight. For a sword nearly six feet in length, it weighs next to nothing. Even Ishin doesn't know why it is so light, but he has come to use that to his advantage. Fuyutsuki appears to Ishin as a woman around his age. She dresses in a sultry black dress that hugs the curves of her voluptuous body. She has silver hair that shines the color of starlight. *'Shikai': Fuyutsuki is triggered by the release command "Show them the gravity of their situation! Crush, Fuyutsuki!". Ishin starts to spin the blade, and as it is rotating it starts to get longer. When it completes three circles, he is holding his shikai. Fuyutsuki looks like a cross between a monk's spade and double scythe. The central staff is about 6 feet long from end to end, and about an inch thick. At one end of the pole is a small, crescent-moon-shaped blade. The blade is perhaps a foot long. That is where the resemblance to the spade ends, though. On the other end, There are two more crescent-moon blades, facing away from the staff. These blades, however, are about 3 feet in length each, 5 if you were to straighten them out. The weapon still only weighs about 10 pounds. :Shikai Special Ability: Fuyutsuki gives Ishin the ability to control gravity. :*'Jokyo Juryoku' (状況 Situational Gravity): Fuyutsuki, being the moon, controls gravity. By using his reiatsu, Ishin can control the gravity around himself, an opponent, an item, or any being in his area of influence. His area of influence is limited to the 10 feet around him in all directions when he first starts out. Every thousand points in connection, it goes up by 5 feet, with a maximum range of 30 feet. He can only control a small area when an opponent is concerned at first. As he trains, though, he gets more proficient at it. This is the ability described in power. Ishin uses Fuyutsuki's natural affinities to effect the gravity of an area, item, or being. This only works if the opponent is of similar or lower reiatsu, and the effect is greatly diminished if the opponent's reiatsu is higher. For example, while the feild would effect the entire body of a weaker opponent, for an opponent that is stronger it would only effect a limb. Can be used once per 500 points in connection greater than 1000. The duration of the effect varies based directly upon the opponent. For example, against a weaker foe, the effect would for a total of 5 turns, while a stronger foe can shake off the effects in two. If his foe is of generally the same reiatsu, the effect lasts for 3 turns. :*'Shimai no Hitoke' (姉妹の一声, Sister's Call): Fuyutsuki was made from the remnants of a falling star, and as such, considers all celestial beings to be her brothers and sisters. When using this ability, Ishin uses a portion of his reiatsu to call one or more of these siblings to strike an opponent. For every thousand points in reiatsu, he may call one sibling in the form of a small meteor, to a maximum of nine. Once he hits 5000 reiatsu, he has the choice of calling upon a bigger meteor rather than a smaller one. The bigger meteor can only be used once and then he can summon up to four smaller ones. The small meteors are roughly the size of a baseball in diameter, and the large meteor is about the size of a watermelon. :*'Kaju no Kyuten' (荷重の九天, Weight of the Heavens): This ability is always active. Since she is made of a foreign metal, Fuyutsuki has an odd weight. At anytime during a bttle, Ishin can change how much the weapon weighs. He can make her lighter, or heavier, at his will. *'Bankai': Amatsu Kogo no Fuyutsuki (天国の皇后両陛下は, Heavenly Empress of the Winter Moon): Fuyutsuki, when Ishin achieves Bankai level, splits down the middle of the blade. It separates, the two halves being held one in each hand by the wielder. Using this, he effectively doubles his range, due to the fact that he can now extend his arms all the way in each direction. Ishin is also enveloped in Samurai armor that is jet black with trim that seems to shine like stars when he moves, and a helmet that has a crescent moon crest. However, that is just the weapon aspect of his bankai. The actual kai itself is all around Ishin. As soon as he speaks the word bankai, the sky darkens and thousands of meteorites, both large and small, descend and hover around him in an area of zero gravity. Also, if one were to look behind him, they would see a moon created by his reiatsu, no matter if it is the middle of the day or a cloudy night. The area of his control is an area covering a twenty meter radius around him, meaning from one point on the edge to the opposite is forty meters :Bankai Special Ability: Ishin's bankai gives him further control over gravity on the battlefield. :*'Ability - Gravitic Mastery': Ishin can now manipulate the gravity around him at a nearly divine level. As such, simple things like picking up objects and throwing them are now part of his routine. His control of gravity is hindered when it comes to other individuals with spiritual power. The ability to increase gravity on them becomes less effective when they are close to his power level. Not only that, but he can never increase the gravity to above the threshold for a body. Due to this provision, Ishin is unable to rip the limbs off of someone or effect them greatly. The situational gravity ability from his shikai is now constantly active, as is weight of the heavens. As a side effect of this ability, any and all celestial bodies that enter into Ishin's gravity zone come under his control. :*'Attack - Imperial Celebration': The first attack at Ishin's disposal is much akin to Sister's Call. However, Ishin now can control a multitude of meteors that all strike the opponent from different directions. This power can be used as many times as he wants while he has bankai active. Not only that, but by infusing his reiatsu into the projectiles, they become bombs. When they all collide with the target, it looks much akin to a star burst or fireworks, which has prompted Fuyutsuki to refer to this attack as Hanabi. This attack costs 2% reiatsu per small meteor that measures 2 feet in diameter and 4% reiatsu per large meteor which measures eighth feet in diameter. :*'Attack - Gravity Bomb': Ishin uses the full force of his gravity to compress anything within an are of five meters where he chooses. The amount of gravitic pressure in this area is so large that it reduces everything within it to dust. This attack costs 10% reiatsu to use, and may only be used a maximum of three times per battle at the beginning. For every additional 5,000 points of connection, he gets an extra use for the attack, to a maximum of six times at 25,000 connection. Attack - Armageddon: Ishin's ultimate attack. Only used on the strongest of opponents, This attack is Ishin's strongest assault, with or without his weapon. Ishin uses all his power and pulls the moon created by his bankai out of orbit, forcing it to come crashing down on his opponent. The moon itself is approximately the size of a large house. It is a part of his bankai, which makes this attack nothing short of a last resort double edge sword. On the one hand, it is very powerful and usually incapacitates or kills all but the strongest of foes. On the other hand, since he is sacrificing his life force, it leaves him drained of nearly all power. Also, as his reiatsu decreases, so does the damage the attack may cause. The drain is equivalent to 50% of his remaining reiatsu. Not only that, but he is basically destroying a part of his bankai. Therefore, after the attack, his sword reverts to its sealed state and may not be released again during that fight. Unique Feats Inryoku no Gusoku - "Gravity Armor" Due to the extensive use of his zanpakutou, Ishin has developed the ability to manipulate the gravity near him to a higher level than he himself thought possible. The effective range of the ability is small, merely a few centimeters from his body, but it makes all the difference. Using the ability, Ishin warps gravity around him to deflect incoming physical attacks. The immanent impact is diverted, the weapon or body part being shoved away from Ishin with a violent force. This only applies to physical attacks, as energy is unaffected by the force of gravity. The effect is also limited by the difference in power betwen Ishin and his opponent. If the opponent is weaker than Ishin by 50% of his reiatsu while his Zanpakutou is released, the attack gets thrown away completely. Opponents between 50% and 150% have their attack diverted to a limb. Any opponents stronger than that the armor merely diverts the attacks to a non-critical area. This technique costs 2% of Ishin's reiatsu per round it is in effect. Inryoku no Kasokudo - "Gravity Acceleration" Ishin, due to the sheer amount of time spent training in the use of his zanpakutou, has become so able to manipulate the gravity on his body that he has made his Shunpo more efficient. The gravity around his legs has been lessened to a degree that makes his shunpo come easier to him. When Ishin is in shikai or bankai, his ability to use shunpo is streamlined. Each use of shunpo costs less, going down a tier in cost. For example, if he were to use a 4.5k hohou shunpo, instead of costing the full 900 reiatsu, it would instead cost the same as a use of the 4k hohou shunpo, which is 800 reiatsu. Trivia Gallery Category:Shinigami Category:Captains Category:Bankai Users Category:Seventh Division